Nado Natterings
A weekly column by David Axelson

Nado Natterings
by David Axelson, Chief Executive Officer
The Islander Sports Foundation

24 Oct 2007 Issue #41

Proving to be resilient after a one-goal loss the previous week to La Jolla, the Coronado High School Boys Water Polo Team defeated archrival The Bishop’s School 10-9 on an eight-meter goal by Jacob Smith with two seconds remaining in regulation. It marked the second time in the last two years that Smith has defeated the Knights with a last-second shot.

Smith scored a total of four goals in Game II 2007 against Bishop’s, with Sean Cook scoring three times, Norbi Karoly twice and Alex Johnson once. Kyle Pokorny was credited with eight saves in goal.

When combined with a 12-8 victory Thursday over Cathedral Catholic and an 11-3 non-league win over Long Beach Wilson, the Islanders now sport an impressive overall record of 17-2. Coronado also holds a one game edge over second place Bishop’s in the Western League race, with two conference games left to play.

Another important element is that the seeding for the top four slots in CIF Division II Playoffs will in all likelihood be identical to the final Western League standings, featuring some combination of Coronado, Bishop’s, La Jolla and Cathedral Catholic followed by Valhalla and Santana from the Grossmont League. There will be a total of 16 teams in the Division II bracket. In the Cathedral Catholic contest, Norbi Karoly set the scoring pace for the Islanders with six goals and two assists. In addition, Adam Ratcliffe scored twice, while Sam Working, Jake Hunzecker, Alex Johnson and Smith all had one goal each. Sean Cook and Rex Butler joined Karoly in having two assists each. “Justin Parsons played the entire game in goal,” said Burgess of the junior net minder. “He blocked 17 of their 25 shots. He did a nice job.”

Long Beach Wilson, which has a storied past in prep water polo circles is going through a rebuilding year of sorts. Said Burgess of Saturday night’s opponents, “They are very young. They will be bigger and stronger next year. We were moving the ball well and our passing was good. Ratcliffe and Smith had four goals each, with Andy Clapper, Tommy Schofer and Butler all scoring once each. Ratcliffe had a very good game. In addition to the four goals, he also drew three ejections. It was probably Adam’s best single game of the season.”

At press time, all CIF practices and games scheduled for the first part of the week had been cancelled due to the San Diego County wildfires. Coronado was scheduled to play Scripps Ranch Wednesday at Miramar College, which has been postponed.

“We fly to San Jose Thursday morning,” said Burgess Sunday evening. “We go to UC Santa Cruz for a visit on campus Thursday afternoon and we play Soquel High School from Santa Cruz at Cabrillo College that evening. Friday morning we play our first game in the Cal State Memorial Invitational against Clovis West from Fresno. We’ll have two games Friday and two on Saturday.”

Coronado enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed from Southern California and as such, will draw Clovis West, the No. 8 seed from Northern California in the first round. The 16-team gathering has long been considered the unofficial California water polo state tournament.

Cross Country Squads Victorious, With Christian on Deck

CHS Head Cross Country Coach George Green provides the update on his team’s performances last week. “A ‘perfect score’ in cross country occurs when one team places all seven of its runners in front of the first runner of the opposing team for a score of 15-50.

Not only did the Islander boys’ septet consisting of Ben Enowitz, David Grimes, Kevin Siefert, Ben Green, Turner Stanley, Andrew Centeno, and Michael Davies do this against Madison last Tuesday, they threw-in Sean O'Brien and Cotter Stacey in the eighth and ninth places for good measure.

The girls placed Sallie Privett, Adie Davies, Annie Lovering, Cassie Callahan, and Coco O'Brien in front of the Warhawks' first runner, followed by Selina Schmeck in seventh to win easily 15-44. Freshman Sadie Gimber sat this one out to rest a sore ankle.
Three days later we took the two varsity teams to the largest cross country meet in the world, the 60^th Annual Mt. SAC Invitational in Walnut California, where this same group of girls placed eighth in the statewide D-IV/V Sweepstakes race. The girls’ team is currently ranked ninth in the state for D-IV schools.

In one of the boys varsity events Enowitz clocked a fast time of 16:18 to finish second over the challenging 3-mile course. Ben and his support group, the aforementioned septet, with Stacy ably substituting for Stanley, placed seventh as a team in their race.

Next week's meet with Christian October 30^th will be for the Central League championship for both the boys and girls squads. The Islanders and Patriots girls' teams will arrive with records of 4-0. The Islander boys also have a 4-0 record and go against a strong Christian team that lost only to Clairemont in a close meet. Last week we beat Clairemont by a scant seven points so this match-up will be hard-fought on both sides.

The meet place and time is at Morley Field at 3pm. Come out and watch your Islander harriers in action. Parking and admission are free. Excitement is guaranteed.”

Islander Football Falls to Madison 34-28

With apologies to Charles Dickens, Friday night’s football game between Madison and Coronado, played at Niedermeyer Field, was a ‘Tale of Two Halves.’ The Warhawks were the first team to get on the scoreboard in the contest, putting together a nine-play drive that culminated in Coronado’s Ray San Giovanni blocking Madison’s extra point attempt.

The Islanders mounted an efficient nine-play drive of their own immediately afterwards, with highlights including a 19-yard gain by Ricardo Oberwager, a 23-yard pass from quarterback Mason Mills to Blake Malkemus and the capper, a seven-yard swing pass from Mills to Kyle Brown for the touchdown.

The teams traded touchdowns again in the second quarter, with Madison mixing their passing and running games effectively and taking a 12-6 lead. Coronado scored on a 59-yard touchdown pass from Mills to Kodie Englehart, after which his older brother Keith Englehart again converted the extra point from a Curtis Perkins hold.

More substantively, Coronado’s defense stiffened at the end of the first half, when Madison drove to the Islander 31-yard line. Nice defensive efforts by lineman Tim Leary and linebackers Chris Declercq and Tyler Suggett stopped Madison and gave the impression that Coronado was in control of the game heading into intermission.

Winning the pre-game coin toss, Madison opted to take the second half kick-off and now was the time for the Warhawks gamble to pay off. However, the Islander defense held again, forcing Madison to punt.

Kyle Brown sped into the Madison backfield and blocked the punt attempt with plenty of time and room to spare, allowing Coronado to take possession on the Warhawk 27-yard line. Coronado’s scoring drive was marked by its simplicity and execution. Oberwager ran for 11 yards and Brown ran for 16 more and a touchdown. Coronado held a 21-12 lead and things were looking good for the home team. The margin of the lead wasn’t as confidence-instilling as much as the seemingly effortless manner in which the Islanders put the points on the board.

The Islander defense again stopped Madison, in part due to sacks from Charlie Moore and another sack from Suggett. However, the Islanders mishandled the ensuing punt, winding up with the ball on their own one-yard line. Madison stuffed an attempted run for a safety and the game momentum swung to the visitor’s side of the field. The Warhawks scored again to make the score 21-20 Coronado.

After the Madison touchdown, on the third play from the line of scrimmage, Coronado lost possession on a fumble and Madison had the ball on the Coronado 25-yard line. On a fourth and goal play from the one, Madison’s Lester Fontenette scored on a quarterback sneak, with considerable pushing assistance from behind by running back Robbie Rouse. The play of course is illegal, but all five striped shirts on the field missed the call, despite the protestations from the Islander defensive unit and the Islander coaches on the sidelines. Unfortunately Coronado’s goal line stand, which was well played, planned and executed, was negated by a bad non-call.

To make matters worse, Coronado fumbled the kickoff and Madison scored six plays later to run the score to 34-21.

Coronado never quit, as Mills found Malkemus for 31 yards, followed immediately by a 15-yard touchdown pass to the junior tight end to make the score 34-28. But Madison was able to run the final 3 minutes and 16 seconds of game time off the clock.

Due to the turnovers, Coronado’s time of possession in the second half totaled 3:55, while Madison controlled the ball for 20:05. Coronado only ran 10 plays from scrimmage in the second half.

The game featured the two best teams in the Central League, with Madison now in control of the league title chase. Coronado will need help from Clairemont, Kearny or University City to gain a tie in league. Unfortunately for the Islanders, Madison’s final game is at home with University City, but stranger things have happened.

Next week, San Diego County wildfire emergency permitting, Coronado is scheduled to play at Crawford at 1 pm.

North County Times Top 10 Prep Football Poll

A total of 22 sportswriters and sportscasters from throughout San Diego County, including Your Natterer, vote in the weekly ‘North County Times’ Prep Football Poll. Our collective wisdom yields the following results: No. 1 (Tie) Poway and Oceanside, No. 3 Mission Hills, No. 4 Carlsbad, No. 5 Helix, No. 6 Vista, No. 7 San Pasqual, No. 8 Chula Vista, No. 9 Eastlake, and No. 10 Point Loma.

Islander Girls Golf Wins Twice

The CHS Girls Golf Team won twice last week, results which included a victory over Christian Monday, followed by a 253-270 victory Wednesday over Point Loma. Both matches were played at the Coronado Municipal Golf Course.

“The girls all played well,” said Co-Head Coach Randy Coutts of the Point Loma match. “We’re to the point where we think we can compete with Scripps Ranch on Thursday. Bridgett Nielsen had her low score of the season with a 50.”

Coronado’s Mackenzie Coutts was the match medalist, posting a 45, which included a near hole-in-one on the 125-yard ninth hole. “Mackenzie was within 18 inches of the hole with her drive,” said her dad Randy. “The ball took one hop and stopped six inches from the ball mark and 18 inches from the hole. It was pretty exciting. The girls had a good time playing Point Loma. They are a good group and they have a good coach. Their girls are a pleasure to be around. It was a fun match.”

A recent addition to the Islander team is Ashley Mendham, who according to the senior Coutts has been a pleasant surprise. “Ashley has a way of putting the ball in the hole. She had a 56 in the Point Loma match and she has been playing for maybe a month and a half. She is amazing to watch. It’s a coach’s dream to have a novice progress to playing so well. It makes a coach think they are doing something right.”

At press time, early week matches against La Jolla and San Pasqual were postponed, with the Scripps Ranch match Thursday a possibility.

Girls Volleyball Loses Tough Three-Game Match to OLP

Last week found the Coronado Girls Volleyball Team hosting the Eastern League’s top team Our Lady of Peace, with the Pilots emerging with a 25-12, 28-26, and 25-15 victory.

“We didn’t play poorly in the first game, but we looked hesitant,” said Islander Head Coach Christina Lahr. “The first game was very, very quick. There were no timeouts. There weren’t any long rallies or multiple point runs. They didn’t blow us out, but it looked like we were afraid to make a mistake.”

The second game of the match found the Islanders with a 24-21 lead (in rally scoring, games are played to 25 points, win by two). “We wanted to give OLP something to worry about,” Lahr said. “If they were going to win, we wanted to make them work for it. Our kids put their heart and soul into every play. OLP is a solid team, with solid players. I told our players, ‘they had to re-think their strategy against you. You proved you are a solid team as well’.”OLP has skated through Eastern League play without a loss this season.

Friday Coronado was off to the San Diego Invitational tournament, which was held at Grossmont High School. The tournament director didn’t do the Islanders any favors with their bracket opponents, as the Islanders faced the host school, Valley Center and Santana in pool play. “We lost a close match to Granite Hills in two games and then lost to Valley Center in two. We lost to Santana in three games, but we killed them in the second game. We played a solid evening of volleyball. We had to work hard to win a game, much less a match.”

Saturday morning the Islanders began play in the Bronze Bracket and defeated Steele Canyon High School in two games. Coronado then defeated Foothill Christian from La Mesa, also in two games.

The next opponent was a team from Pahrump, Nevada, which according to Lahr, combined with Coronado to forge a well-played match. “For all intents and purposes, it should have been the Bronze Division championship match. It was the best match of the day, with two evenly matched teams. They were the No. 4 seed going into the tournament. We won the first game, but lost the last two. It was our best match and we left everything on the court. There was no question how badly we wanted to win it. It was good to play against them. It was a learning experience and a learning tournament for us.” The final score was 13-25, 25-17 and 15-8.

“Christy Mebust played very well in the tournament and Brianna Baszak played libero for most of the tournament and her passing was outstanding,” Lahr continued to say. “Krista Baszak (sophomore younger sister and part of three sister combos on the team) played defense on the right side and really stepped up when we needed her.”The Islander sister pairings are Kelsey Fitzgerald and Kori Fitzgerald, Christy and Lainey Mebust and the Baszaks.

This week the Islanders first possible game is Thursday at San Diego High School. Tuesday’s home match with Serra High School has been postponed.

CHS Girls Tennis Loses Twice in Western League Play

The Islander Girls Tennis Team continued their Western League schedule last week with a 14-4 loss to Cathedral Catholic and a 16-2 loss to University City.

Despite the losses, Head Coach Rob LeBuhn sees progress from his team members. “Against Cathedral, our No. 1 doubles team of Natalie Brooks and Andrea Sassenrath was once again very solid. Our No. 1 singles player Spencer Berman won two matches and No.2 singles Jennifer Carney won one. Our No. 2 doubles team of Katie Culora and Grace Lancaster won one set. They are both left-handed players and are playing nicely together.”

Against University City, Berman won two of her three singles sets. LeBuhn also fielded new doubles combos of Morgan Jones and Marian McCadden, as well as having Tiffany Barnard combine with Sassenrath. “It was nice for the seniors to play in one of their last matches of the season,” LeBuhn said.

Both of the scheduled matches for this week, Scripps Ranch on Tuesday and Canyon Crest on Wednesday have been postponed.

ISF – Coronado Middle School Sports Registration Date Set

Wednesday, Nov. 7, will be the registration date for the Coronado Middle School winter sports season. The meeting will be held at CMS Granzier Hall from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Attendance by interested parents and student-athletes is strongly encouraged. Information regarding teams, schedules and coaches will be disseminated at the meeting.

The winter sports offered include Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Boys Basketball, Girls Softball and Co-ed Golf. The fee is $110 per sport, per child.

There will be a similar spring sports registration meeting held Feb. 6, 2008 for the sports of Boys Lacrosse, Co-ed Track and Field, Girls Basketball, Co-ed Water Polo and Co-ed Tennis.

If you are new to the ISF-CMS Sports program, you may download all of the applicable forms at www.IslanderSportsFoundation.com. Your child must have a current athletic physical and have all of the forms completed and filed before they can practice or participate in an ISF-CMS sponsored sport. Under no circumstances will any applications or payments be accepted after the close of business Wednesday, Nov. 21.

For questions, please contact either Suzette Valle at avalle@san.rr.com or Cassandra Stroud at cmstroud@pacbell.net.

Senior Lifeguard Classes Begin Nov. 1, 2007

Lifeguard training classes will be starting soon, under the direction of Nick Naiman, pool manager of the Bent Memorial Aquatics Complex. The cost for the classes, with all course materials included is $150, with the deadline for payment and enrollment Oct. 26.

For additional information, please visit www.IslanderSportsFoundation.com and follow the appropriate link. The class will cover several sessions and is a total of 31 hours in class and in-pool instruction. Successful candidates will be considered for lifeguarding positions at the BMAC facility, which is projected to open December 1, 2007.

Please contact Naiman at nnaiman@coronado.k12.ca.us for additional information.